Tag Archives: EU circualr economy consultation

2. Joint Healthcare Waste and Resources Research Group and ISWA International conference

In conjunction with the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), the Group will be hosting an international conference on April 14 and 15, 2016. It will be held at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust in London. Topics to be covered will include current and emerging technologies, sustainability and preparing for emergencies. Speakers from the Royal College of Nursing, the NHS and technology operators, amongst others. Booking details coming soon.

3. Scientists trace cancer-causing chemical in drinking water back to methadone

Like death and taxes, at some point in life, drinking someone else’s human waste becomes inevitable. When water flows from the many pipes of our homes, the first stop is a wastewater treatment factory, where most hazardous chemicals and microbes are removed. In an ideal scenario, city planners have geographically positioned wastewater facilities so that none of the drainage flows into another’s city’s drinking water supply. But if you live downstream from any population, then you’re likely drinking someone’s wastewater, says Arizona State University environmental engineer Paul Westerhoff.

On 28th May, the European Commission launched a public consultation to help inform its circular economy action plan, to be presented by the end of 2015. Suggestions generated from the consultation will feed into a new strategy which aims to transform Europe into a “competitive resource efficient economy”. The revised package will reportedly look beyond waste policy and address the full product lifecycle, taking into account the varying realities in all Member States. It will include actions on intelligent product design, reuse and repair of products, recycling, sustainable consumption, waste policy, recycling levels, smart use of raw materials, stronger markets for secondary raw materials and specific sectorial measures. The consultation is open until 20th August